Question:
Asalkium beloved staff,May ALLAHS mercy be upon you all.
I have a question in regards to forced marriage in islam.My sister who has now been enagaged to a man she doesnt like for almost 6 years,doesnt feel her heart connected to the guy,she cryed and said she didnt want to get enagaged to this guy when the people involved were forcing her at the time,but they forced her anyways.And the only reason my sister said she will get married to this guy is for the sake of my mum and the family but other than that she doesnt love him,but my mum has different thoughts and said no that cant be right she has to love him from the heart,and if she doesnt she will disown her and kick her out,please give me reference to forced marriage and what she should do.
regards may ALLAH have mercy on you ALL.
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
Shaykh Seraj Hendricks wrote in “A study in the understanding of authority and the abuse of power in Muslim marriages” :
Islam afforded women unprecedented rights… She has the right the right to property, exclusive rights to her wealth, the right to equal pay for equal work, the right to the mut’a (or compensation) in divorce, the right to social equality and educational opportunities, the right to military service, the right to resist a forced marriage, the right to terminate a marriage of an abusive husband etc. And all these rights emanate from the example set by our Prophet Muhammad (s) whose nature and character according to Sayyidatuna `Aysha was indeed the Quran (kana khuluquhu al-Quran).
Taher Siddiqui
